Streaming is a technique of delivering data corresponding to a multimedia presentation or other media content to end-users and can involve continuously playing media content, video and/or audio, while media data is being streamed or delivered to the user. One particular form of streaming is known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Live Streaming (HLS) and provides a technique for streaming content using HTTP. As merely one example, the streamed content can correspond to video and/or audio currently being broadcast on a television channel (i.e., so-called live TV). Thus, an end user may watch live streaming content on television monitors connected to IP client set-top boxes as well as other IP client devices such as tablets, smartphones, laptop computers and the like.
In HLS, incoming media data from a source is segmented or “chunked” into multiple media files which are stored on a HLS streaming server. A playlist file is created that includes Uniform Resource Identifiers (URLs) that direct HLS client devices to the media files on the streaming server. When the segmented media files are reassembled and played one-by-one by the HLS client device in accordance with order specified in the playlist file, the user of the client device can be provided, for instance, with a continuous and uninterrupted broadcast of a real-time, near real-time, or “live” event or broadcast. Of course, pre-recorded and/or pre-existing content can be streamed in a similar manner.